At your service

This afternoon, I saw my colleague and two temporary staff come into the office after packing lunch, carrying styrofoam boxes in plastic bags. A few minutes later, before I stepped out for my own lunch, I decided to do something about my frustrations, and called for everyone's attention. I requested that if there was a need to pack lunch, then if it could be done using the re-usable plastic food boxes that have been accumulating in the utensil cupboard.

"Can they still be used? They're so old!" my colleague said. I told her I use them all the time, and they're clean.

She said that packing food in old plastic wasn't any more better than packing it in styrofoam. She didn't elaborate on why. Perhaps it was the questionable heat-releasing-toxins-from-plastic argument? Isn't it alright to pack hot food in plastic that shows a 'microwaveable' sign?

Regardless, I didn't probe into her statement and asked straight out, if everyone could switch to just taking out the empty containers, or if there was an issue with it, then I could buy proper lunchboxes for everyone from the supermarket, and if anyone found washing up to be a bother, then I would do the washing for them.

Everyone just kept quiet. It was as if I offended them.

I apologized for the strange request. "I'm just an environmental Nazi like that, you know how I am..." I gushed.

Silence.

"...Well, if you prefer styrofoam, then of course I can't really stop you," I added.

My colleague said, "Well, you've said your piece then." And went back to typing.

A little stunned, I turned to the temp staff. The two girls looked at each other, and one of them said, "I think we're okay like this."

I said okay, and quietly walked out to meet my friend for lunch.

I know it is not my place to change mindsets, but I still couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with anger and defeat. Urbanites are bombarded by the media about eco-everything, so I am certain that they were not ignorant of the intentions I was trying to convey. I did not vent and I did not preach. I offered an option and offered to absorb as much of the efforts involved in the change. And yet there it was... the (dare I say, Malaysian) flat-out attitude of not caring, not even a dedicating a second of consideration of the consequences of their actions as consumers.

It is, however, difficult to not offend anyone in that situation. No matter how sensitive one can be in tackling environmental awareness, you're always going to be painted out to be someone who goes out of their way to seem better than everyone else.

People always tell me, "It's good to have people like you around," and to be honest, I really don't like that. I don't want to be another person's excuse to slack off on doing the right thing. I don't want people telling me that I inspire them if they personally don't prove to themselves that I do.

I'm not a crusader, and I am not your social superior. I am a worker ant and I am executing my duties on autopilot.

Now, can you help me lift this branch up? It's mighty heavy!